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HB 219UTAHSession 2026State BillSigned into law
Enacted

Utah directs state higher education board to establish primary source writing requirements and authorizes voluntary adoption

Original title: Higher Education Civics Amendments

Last action · March 19, 2026: Governor SignedSponsors: Melissa Ballard and 1 other

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Does

Utah enacts HB 219, requiring the Utah Board of Higher Education to establish policies incorporating foundational historical and civic documents into general education writing courses beginning in the 2026-27 academic year. The law allows higher education institutions to voluntarily adopt structured writing requirements using primary sources and preserves faculty discretion over course design and document selection.

Why it matters

Higher education institutions and general education instructors in Utah gain specific board guidelines and optional structured criteria for integrating historical texts like the U.S. Constitution and Supreme Court opinions into writing assignments starting in the 2026-27 academic year.

Background
  • The Utah Board of Higher Education governs the state's system of public colleges and universities. context
  • The bill was sponsored in the House by Representative Melissa G. Ballard and in the Senate by Senator Lincoln Fillmore during the 2026 General Session. context

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Utah institutions of higher education

Higher education institutions must follow board policies incorporating seminal documents into writing courses and are given the option to voluntarily adopt structured writing requirements.

Directly affected

Higher education students

Students will encounter the incorporation of seminal documents and analytical writing assignments utilizing primary sources in general education writing courses.

Directly affected

Course instructors

Instructors are required to incorporate seminal documents where appropriate while retaining discretion over course design and document selection.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do the new writing course requirements take effect?
The bill takes effect on May 6, 2026, and the board's policies and voluntary institution frameworks begin in the 2026-27 academic year.
Do individual instructors lose the ability to choose their own course materials?
No. The law explicitly preserves the discretion of institutions and faculty members to determine when and how to incorporate , select specific texts, and design assignments.
What counts as a seminal document under this law?
include like the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution, presidential speeches, Supreme Court opinions establishing major constitutional principles, and other historical documents identified by the board.

What else do you want to know?

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Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

45 actions
  1. Mar 19, 2026Lieutenant Governor's office for filingEnrolled
    Governor Signed
  2. Mar 12, 2026House
    House/ to Governor
  3. Mar 12, 2026House
    House/ received enrolled bill from Printing
  4. Mar 11, 2026House
    House/ enrolled bill to Printing
  5. Mar 11, 2026Clerk of the House
    Enrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
  6. Mar 6, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / Enrolling
    Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
Show 39 earlier actions
  1. Mar 6, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / Enrolling
    Bill Received from House for Enrolling
  2. Mar 6, 2026House
    House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling
  3. Mar 6, 2026House
    House/ received from Senate
  4. Mar 6, 2026Senate
    Senate/ to House
  5. Mar 6, 2026Senate
    Senate/ signed by President/ returned to House
  6. Mar 6, 2026SenateFloor
    Senate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension
  7. Mar 6, 2026Senate
    Senate/ 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension
  8. Mar 5, 2026Senate
    Senate/ Rules to 2nd Reading Calendar
  9. Mar 4, 2026Senate
    Senate/ 2nd Reading Calendar to Rules
  10. Mar 3, 2026Senate
    Senate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
  11. Mar 3, 2026Senate
    Senate/ committee report favorable
  12. Mar 2, 2026Senate
    Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
  13. Feb 25, 2026SenateCommittee
    Senate/ to standing committee
  14. Feb 24, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
  15. Feb 23, 2026Senate
    Senate/ received from House
  16. Feb 23, 2026House
    House/ to Senate
  17. Feb 23, 2026HouseFloor
    House/ passed 3rd reading
  18. Feb 23, 2026House
    House/ uncircled
  19. Feb 20, 2026House
    House/ circled
  20. Feb 20, 2026House
    House/ 3rd reading
  21. Feb 13, 2026House
    House/ 2nd reading
  22. Feb 13, 2026House
    House/ committee report favorable
  23. Feb 12, 2026House
    House Comm - Favorable Recommendation
  24. Feb 9, 2026House
    House Comm - Not Considered
  25. Feb 4, 2026HouseCommittee
    House/ to standing committee
  26. Feb 4, 2026House Rules Committee
    Bill Substituted by Sponsor in House Rules Comm
  27. Jan 29, 2026Released
    LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0219S01
  28. Jan 29, 2026Version Sponsor
    LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0219S01
  29. Jan 28, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0219S01
  30. Jan 28, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0219S01
  31. Jan 20, 2026HouseIntroduced
    House/ 1st reading (Introduced)
  32. Jan 20, 2026House
    House/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
  33. Jan 17, 2026Released
    LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0219
  34. Jan 17, 2026Version Sponsor
    LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0219
  35. Jan 14, 2026House
    House/ received bill from Legislative Research
  36. Jan 9, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0219
  37. Jan 9, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0219
  38. Jan 9, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel
    Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed
  39. Jan 9, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel
    Bill Numbered but not Distributed

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

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Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Sponsors

Melissa BallardHouse · District 20RepublicanPrimary sponsor
Lincoln FillmoreSenate · District 17RepublicanCosponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift95% confidence

Integration of Primary Source Materials in General Education

The legislation establishes a formal mechanism for incorporating historical foundational texts into general education writing curricula across Utah higher education institutions.

Utah Board of Higher Education

Connected Entities

Utah Board of Higher Education, United States Constitution, Declaration of Independence and 2 more
OrganizationUtah Board of Higher Education“Directed to establish minimum requirements for using primary source documents in”Map →
otherUnited States Constitution“Defined as a foundational document under seminal documents.”Map →
otherDeclaration of Independence“Defined as a foundational document under seminal documents.”Map →
otherFederalist Papers“Defined as a foundational document under seminal documents.”Map →
otherBill of Rights“Defined as a foundational document under seminal documents.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

le.utah.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance35
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy15
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz10
    Current news / social attention level

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